Nissan India aims to sell 100,000

Japanese carmaker Nissan aims to triple its sales volume and targets to sell 100,000 units in India in the current financial year 2013-14. Nissan India’s newly-appointed managing director, Kenichiro Yomura, said the company will launch at least four new models including one from its low-cost brand Datsun to drive the volume.

A sub-Rs 4 lakh car from Datsun, a premium sedan, a refreshed Micra hatchback and a refreshed multi-purpose vehicle Evalia are on the cards. Yomura said the company will expand its dealer network from the current 95 outlets to 145 by March 2014.

The company also aims 10% share in the domestic market by 2016.

At present, Nissan’s export volume from India is four-times larger than its India sales. Last year, the company shipped overseas 1,37,000 units of hatchback Micra and midsize sedan Sunny from its Chennai plant while it sold just a little less than 37,000 units in India.

Yomura said going forward, the company will increase local content in its cars and start local production of the engines. However, he did not put a timeframe for this.

Nissan rolled out two products — a mini truck and a multipurpose vehicle — from its joint venture with Ashok Leyland in Chennai.